Republic of Helvetica (WIP)
Helvetica, officially the Republic of Helvetica, is a secessionist, unrecognised nation (often called a micro-nation) with land claims in central England. The nation was founded by President Vilcho I: the first and current president. The politics of Helvetica take place within a framework of a semi-direct presidential democracy, with the President being both the Head of State and Head of Government. Government Helvetica is a Unitary Presidential Constitutional Republic. The Government is organised into four 'branches': Presidential, Executive, Legislative and Judicial. *The Presidential Branch consists of the President, the Vice-Presidents and the Presidium *The Executive Branch consists of the State Counsellor and the College of Directors. *The Legislative Branch consists of the Assembly, which is elected by the citizens for 2 years at a time. *The Judicial Branch of government consists of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court and the High Court. Presidential Branch Although in many countries that use the presidential system the President is part of the Executive Branch, in Helvetica the President is an inherently different entity. The Presidential Branch is charged with overseeing the other branches of government and is closely intertwined with all of them. The President The President is the Head of State and Head of Government of Helvetica. According to the Constitution, the President is granted all powers and can serve a term of 4 years. The President can only serve for 2 consecutive terms before they cannot run for re-election, however, after 1 term has commenced the President may be re-elected. The President can also pass Presidential Decrees. The Vice-Presidents The Vice-Presidents' primary responsibility is to act in place of the President on the event of the President's death, resignation or incapacity. Helvetica has four Vice-Presidents, who each have different responsibilities: * The State Vice-President - The first in the line of succession if the President is incapacitated. They serve as the second-in-command of the Presidential Branch and are the most important Vice-President. Executive Branch The Executive Branch enforces the law as written by the Legislative Branch and interpreted by the Judicial Branch. The Executive Branch is the source of certain types of law, called Executive Orders. The State Counsellor The State Counsellor is the chief adviser to the President. They head the College of Directors and often hold the position of Director of Internal Affairs. The Constitution states that the State Counsellor's term is limited to that of the current President's. The State Counsellor is appointed by the President and is the third in the line of succession, behind the Vice-Presidents. The State Counsellor also holds the position of Executive Vice-President. The College of Directors The College of Directors assists the President and the State Counsellor in the running of Helvetica. The College consists of the heads of all main government Departments. Each Director is appointed to a portfolio by the President on the recommendation of the State Counsellor for a time up to the limit of the President's term. There are currently 4 Departments of the Helvetican Government: * The Department of Foreign Affairs: Led by the Director of Foreign Affairs, responsible for maintaining diplomatic relations with other nations. * The Department of Internal Affairs: Led by the Director of Internal Affairs, responsible for Helvetican citizenship and elections. * The Department of Justice: Led by the Director of Justice, responsible for keeping records of all legislation, as well as defending the nation in court. * The Department of Defence: Led by the Director of Defence, responsible for the defence of the nation with the Helvetican Defence Force and the National Security Commission. Legislative Branch The'' Assembly'' The Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of Helvetica. It consists of all Helvetican citizens (apart from members of the College of Directors, the Supreme Court the Senate, and the President) and meets every 9 months to receive an address by the President and to vote on crucial legislation. Bills passed through the Assembly must receive a simple majority of members present or if the Bill regards the Constitution or affects the system of government, a 2/3 majority of all citizens is required. The Senate The Senate is the upper house of the Parliament of Helvetica and passes the day to day legislation, with only important bills needing to be referred to the Assembly. The Senate meets every 3 months ordinarily and can be called into an Emergency Session by the State Counsellor or the President. 3/5 of Senate are elected by the people using a proportional system, 1/5 is appointed by the president, and 1/5 is appointed by the Helvetican Defence Force. The Grand Council The Grand Council is a joint session of many Government institutions: the College of Directors, the Supreme Court, the President, the Assembly and the Senate. It can only be called into session by the President, and only twice in their term: once around 2-4 weeks into the President's term, to declare what they aim to do this term; and another time of the Presidents choosing, usually to declare the State of Emergency. Judicial Branch The Supreme Court The Supreme Court is the highest court of appeal in Helvetica. It is composed of the Chief Justice, the Deputy Chief Justice, the Assistant Chief Justice and three Associate Justices. It hears appeals from the Circuit Courts of all types it wishes to accept. The Supreme Court does not have the ability to declare a law unconstitutional. The Constitutional Court The Constitutional Court heard cases with a base in the Constitution. It has the power to declare a bill unconstitutional, recall any laws that were passed that are now unconstitutional due to an amendment to the constitution. Foreign Relations Helvetica is currently part of the Konmalehth.